Consultation on making visiting a legal right in health and care settings
The consultation is on proposals to introduce secondary legislation to amend the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 - basically to add visiting as a fundamental standard which Care Quality Commission (CQC) have to inspect health and care settings against.
Visiting restrictions have been a major issue highlighted across the Healthwatch network. We'd like to encourage you to complete and share the ONLINE SURVEY to ensure the changes are informed by as many people as possible - patients, people living in care homes, their family and friends, unpaid carers, and organisations representing or hearing from these groups.
The consultation period will run until 11:59pm 16 August 2023.
BACKGROUND ON VISITING RESTRICTIONS
Healthwatch were one of the first organisations to raise the issue of care home visiting issues directly with the Government during the pandemic. Healthwatch England wrote to the Secretary of State in partnership with council and charity leaders about the huge impact restrictions were having on residents. Healthwatch has since backed calls from campaign groups in calling for visiting to become a legal right in all settings, as referenced in parliament earlier this month by Dan Carden MP.
